Postpartum update

So, it's been 2 weeks since I gave birth, but it feels like much, much longer.  I guess it's the whole feeding Des every 2-3 hours that make every day bleed into the next day.  I've been having a helluva time trying to breastfeed, which is incredibly disheartening.  I mean, I did all of my research and read lots and lots of articles on the importance of breastfeeding for the baby's health and for our relationship.  When I was pregnant, I thought I had it all figured out: I would breastfeed Desmond every few hours and be a pro at nursing in my sleep and we would have this beautiful relationship.  Instead, breastfeeding has been frustrating, to say the least.  Desmond's latch isn't the best; he doesn't open his mouth wide enough and ends up just sucking at the very tip of my nipple (he's supposed to take a huge chunk of areola and nipple into his mouth for an effective latch).  He also has a very strong suck; when we put our finger in Desmond's mouth to soothe him, it feels like he's going to suck the fingernail right off.  I've been trying different positions and my mom just showed me how to nurse while lying down, which increases my comfort by a lot, since I usually nurse sitting up in bed at night.  Hopefully, it will help Desmond achieve a better latch. 

Having my mother here, however, has been a godsend.  She is always doing something: cleaning, doing laundry, doing tons of cooking, tending the baby, etc.  She's not the type of mother to just sit around.  She leaves on Sunday and I know that I'll be bawling my eyes out.  Billy's going to take the next week off of work (he's been going in to work while my mom's here) and stay with me to make the transition a bit easier.  She's so great with the baby; sometimes, I feel like she's the mom and I'm just the big sister or the babysitter.  She literally purrs whenever she picks him up.  She's an expert baby bather.  She smiles at him all the time, no matter if he's screaming his lungs out or making cute baby faces at her.  She's got an incredible amount of patience.  Billy jokes that we should put a GPS tracker device in Desmond just in case my mom goes a little crazy and takes him with her to Florida. 

Of the 20 or so pounds I gained during pregnancy, I've lost 17 (really only less than 10 since Desmond weighed 7 lbs and the placenta and everything else weighed a few more pounds).  My stomach is still a bit squishy, which is OK.  I'm still bleeding, but have moved on to pantyliners instead of those god-awful, lousy "extra absorbent" pads.  Every morning I hold my breath in the hopes that I've stopped bleeding and when I see that I haven't, I am reminded of that one South Park episode where Kartman or Kenny remark that you can't trust a being that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die.  I'm on day 15. 

My mother says that the moment the baby makes true eye contact with you is the moment that your hair starts falling out.  I guess Desmond and I haven't visually connected yet because I haven't noticed any increase in hairs in the tub or on the floor. 

Pirate loves his little brother.  He sniffs at him and has licked his hands and feet.  He'll curl up next to me or Billy on the couch when we're holding Desmond and sort of takes his post.  I feel like he cares about Desmond.  I sometimes fantasize that he'll be Desmond's guard dog, saving Desmond from sudden and imminent danger (a roaming bear, a burglar, or another dog). 

Here's a little secret: In the past 2 weeks, I have brushed my teeth before 4pm a total of 5 times.  I'm in my pajamas until then, too.  Showers are such a morale boost; don't skip on them no matter how tired you are!  It's so much better to be clean and cranky than dirty and cranky.  Oh, and another little secret, make sure you have EVERYTHING you need for the day before you leave the house.  Twice I've been caught without my sling (had to carry the baby in arms around the whole IKEA) and without a change of diapers/clothes (pooped and peed through his outfit in public.)